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NYC's beloved piano bar Marie's Crisis will reopen next week

New York's classic show-tune destination will be open to the public with safety measures in place.

Adam Feldman
Written by
Adam Feldman
Theater and Dance Editor, Time Out USA
Marie's Crisis Cafe
Photograph: Glenn WoodMarie's Crisis Cafe
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The crisis isn't over, but Marie's is finally coming back.

No piano bar in New York inspires so much hopeless devotion as Marie's Crisis, the city's prime destination for showtune lovers for decades. Crowded around the piano in a tiny basement on Grove Street, in a building that once housed the Revolutionary War writer Thomas Paine, Broadway aficionados have created a true sense of community and continuity there, and tourists from around the world have happily thrown their voices into the mix.

The bar was forced to close in March in response to the pandemic. But get on your feet, showtune fans, and get ready to make a joyful noise: Time Out has learned that Marie's Crisis will reopen its famous red door to the public on Monday, December 8. 

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Going forward, Marie's Crisis will be open from 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 1pm to 10pm on weekends. You may have to contend even longer lines than usual: Only 15 patrons at a time will be able to attend at a time. In keeping with state health guidelines, the bar will operate with multiple safety precautions in place, including distanced tables, plexiglass dividers, temperature checks, contact tracing and mask wearing.

During the shutdown, Marie's has helped keep the torch song burning with nightly virtual sets from its house pianists, and it will continue to do so for the benefit of patrons who can't be there in person. Some of these sets will now be streamed from Marie's itself instead of from the pianists' homes. 

Hold your hats and hallelujah! Our bar will be blessed with the sound of music, and we'll sing once more.

Kenney Green and Dayna Grayber at Marie's Crisis
Photograph: Tyler William Milliron | Kenney Green and Dayna Grayber at Marie's Crisis

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